Garment



C. E. MARTIN Jan. 23, 1945.

GARMENT Filed March 25, 1943 g] rwa/wkw Charles E. Martin Patented Jan. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT Charles E. Martin, Minneapolis, Minn.

A plication March 25, 1943, Serial No. 480,532

4 Claims.

My invention relates to garments formed with a drop seat and having belt straps associated with the drop seat and adapted to be drawn forwardly to close the drop seat and to be secured together at the front of the garment.

An object of the invention resides in providing a garment of such character in which the drop seat may be fully opened to give the utmost comfort to the wearer.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a garment in which belt straps of a length greater than that required to close the drop seat may be procured.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a garment in which at least one of the belt straps is provided with a take-up to permit of adjusting the length of the belt strap and in providing the take-up with a quick release whereby the surplus material of the strap is rendered available for increasing the length thereof.

An object of the invention resides in providing the belt straps with a buckle having complemental buckle members adapted to be attached to one another to secure the ends of the straps together and to associate the take-up ,with the buckle, whereby the quick release of the take-up may be effected by manipulation of the belt buckle.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a rigid tongue on one of the buckle members adapted to engage eyelets on the corresponding belt strap, said tongue and eyelets constituting the take-up of the belt strap.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a garment illustrating an embodiment of my invention and showing the drop seat in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and drawn to a greater scale.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the garment shown in Fig. 1 and drawn to a somewhat greater scale.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the garment shown in Fig. 3, but viewed from the opposite side thereof and illustrating the belt straps released and the drop seat partly lowered.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the drop seat fully lowered.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the belt buckle.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 6 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

In the type of drop seat garment shown in Patent No. 2,284,953, issued June 2, 1942, to E. Fellroth, difficulty in the use thereof is encountered in some instances due to the fact that the buckle members of the belt straps catch in the loops of the drop seat before the drop seat reaches fully open position. With the belt straps meeting at the front of the garment, the length of said straps is predetermined and, particularly for slender wearers, they are too short to allow full opening of the drop seat. The instant invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing a take-up in either or both of the belt straps, including a quick release, whereby additional material of the straps in the take-up may be quickly let out to increase the effective length of the straps when it becomes desirable to lower the drop seat.

The invention may be embodied in several different types of garments, such as garments having a jacket and trouser portion combined, or a bib or suspenders combined with a trouser portion, or with a trouser portion alone. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, I have shown a garment indicated in its entirety by the reference character A. This garment is of the type having a body portion 10 and a trouser portion ll connected therewith. The body portion may consist of a jacket or any other form of supporting structure for the trouser portion, and the same not forming any feature of the instant invention the specific construction thereof has not been shown nor will the same be described in this specification.

The garment A utilizes a front l2 which forms the front of both the body portion I0 and the trouser portion II. The body portion ID has a back 13 which extends somewhat below the Waist line of the garment and which is secured to the front It at the side of the garment along seams M. The trouser portion H includes a back I! which is secured to the front [2 along seams l8 forming a continuation of the seams M. The back l3 of the body portion 10 is constructed at the rear thereof with an opening I5. This opening is adapted to be closed by a drop seat l6 which forms a continuation of the back I! of the trouser portion I l. and which is free from the garment along its lateral edges 18. This drop seat is provided at its upper end with a waist band 2! which may be constructed by doubling over the material of the band and securing the same to the upper marginal portion of the drop seat proper on opposite sides thereof or in any other suitable manner.

Attached to the ends of the waist band 2| are two metal loops 22 and 23. Both of these loops being identical in construction, only the loop 22 will be described in detail. This loop is provided with a body portion which has two slots 24 and 25 therein separated by a vertical bar 26 as best shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the waist band 2| are threaded through the slots 24 and folded back and stitched or otherwise attached to the waist band proper to attach the loops 22 and 23 thereto.

Cooperating with the loops 22 and 23 are two belt straps 21 and 28. These belt straps are secured to the garment in proximity to the waist line of the same and'at the sides thereof. In the drawing, the belt straps have been shown stitched to the garment by means of the seams l4. These belt strap-s pass through the slots 25 of the loops 22 and 23 and slide freely therein. When the belt straps are drawn through the loops 22 and 23 forwardly of the garment, the drop seat is moved into closing position and when said straps occupy the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the drop seat completely closes theopening l5 in the garment and fits snugly about the waist of the wearer.

For securing the two straps 21 and 28 together to hold the drop seat in position, a buckle indicated .in its entirety by the reference numeral 3] is employed. This buckle comprises two complemental buckle members 32 and 33 which have enlarged portions 34 formed with slots 35 therein adapted to receive the belt straps 2'! and 28. The buckle member 32 has an elongated slot 36 in the end portion 31 thereof, While the buckle member 33 is provided with a stud 38 issuing outwardly from the end portion 39 thereof and formed with an elongated head 4|. The head 4| extends transversely of the slot 38 when the buckle members are attached and upon rotation of the buckle members through an angle of 90, the head 4| and slot 36 can be made to register so as to permit of engagement or disengagement of the two buckle members with respect to one another.

With the two belt straps 21 and 28 are provided quick release take-ups indicated at which are constructed as follows: Formed on the enlarged portion of the buckle members .32 and 33 are tongues 42 which project outwardly therefrom. These tongues are adapted to engage any of a number of eyelets 43 attached to the belt straps proper. The belt straps 21 and 28 have end portions 44 which extend beyond the buckle members 32 and 33 and which are folded back upon and overlie the major portion of said straps when the parts of the garment are in normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tongues 42 on the buckle members 32 and 3,3 are offset inwardly and pass through the desired eyelets on the end portions and overlie said end portions adjacent the garment proper and hold the end portions in juxtaposed position relative to the belt straps proper. At the ends of the end portions 44 are formed hems 45 which serve as stops and engage the enlarged portions 34 of the buckle members 32 and 33 and retain the buckle members on the straps.

The use of the invention is as follows: When the drop seat is to be lowered, the two buckle members are detached by turning the same through an angle of 90 'to bring the head 4| of the stud 38 in register with the slot 36 in buckle member 32 and by sliding the stud 38 and head 4| thereof out through the slot in said buckle member. When the end portions 44 of the straps 21 and 28 are moved outwardly away from the garment, the tongues 42 are readily disengaged from the particular eyelets 43 in which they were received, thus leaving the buckle members free to slide on the straps. The two buckle members 21 and 28 may now he slid outwardly until the hems' engage the same and limit the outward movement thereof. The belt straps may then he slid along the loops 22 and 23 until the said loops reach the buckle members 32 and 33. It will thus be seen that the end portions of the straps have been utilized to increase the effective length of the straps when the drop seat is opened. This permits of fully opening the dro seat, thereby giving greater comfort to the wearer.

The advantages of my invention are manifest. With my invention, the length of the straps connecting the drop seat with the garment can be made great enough to give the desired degree of comfort to the user. These same straps, when serving as belt straps, may be taken in to give an effective length suitable for even a thin person. With my invention, the additional material in the take-ups of the belt straps is utilized to increase the effective length of the belt straps. thereby making the take-ups serve a dual purpose. The structure whereby the results of the instant invention are procured may be produced without appreciable expense.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A garment including a trouser portion having a rear opening therein, a drop seat connected to the .trouser portion and covering said opening, means for holding the drop seat in closed position and including a strap, a buckle for holding said strap'in position, said buckle having a slot therein through which said strap extends, a tongue on said buckle and an eyelet in said strap for engagement with said tongue for quickly releasing the buckle from the strap.

2. A garment including a trouser portion having a .rear opening therein, a drop seat connected to the trouser portion and covering said opening, said drop se'at being free at the upper end and terminating substantially at the waistline of the garment, said garment and the drop seat 'at the sides of the drop seat having juxtaposed portions, belt straps connected to certain of the portions on opposite sides of the garment, loops attached to the other of said portions and through which said straps extend, buckle .members attached to said straps for securing the same together to hold the drop seat in closed position, a tongue on one of said buckle members, an eye in said strap for engagement with said tongue, said strap having an end portion extending beyond said eye, said buckle member, upon disengagement from said eye, being slidable along said end portion toward the end thereof to increase the effective length of the belt strap and means on the end of said strap for engagingthe buckle member when at its outermost position, said last named Imeans, loop and buckle member being in juxtaposition when the drop seat is in fully open position.

3. .A garment including a trouser portion having a rear opening therein, a drop seat connected to the trouser portion and covering said opening, said drop seat being free at the upper end and terminating substantially at the waist line of the garment, said garment and the drop seat at the sides of the drop seat having juxtaposed portions, belt straps connected to certain. of the portions on opposite sides of the garment, loops attached to the other of said portions and through which said straps extend, said straps extending about the waist line of the garment and having closely positioned portions, complemental buckle members slidable along said strap, and of sufficient dimensions to prevent passage through said loops, said straps extending beyond the closely positioned portions of the same, quick detachable fastening means acting between said buckle and straps at the locality of the closely positioned portions of the straps for restraining sliding movement of the buckles along the straps, said buckle members being engageable one with the other to hold the drop seat in closing position and being slidable to the ends of the straps upon disengagement from one another and upon unfastening of the fastenig means to increase the length of the straps between the localities of attachment of the straps to the garment and the loops to accommodate extended opening of the drop seat and means on the ends of the straps for retaining the buckle members and the loops on the straps when the fastening means are unfastened.

4. A garment including a trouser portion having a rear opening therein, a drop seat connected to the trouser portion and covering said opening, said drop seat being free at the upper end and terminating substantially at the waist line of the garment, said garment and the drop seat at the sides of the drop seat having juxtaposed portions, belt straps connected to certain of the portions on opposite sides of the garment, loops attached to the other of said portions and through which said straps extend, said straps extending about the waist line of the garment and having closely positioned portions, complemental buckle members on said straps for securing said straps together at the.closely positioned portions of the same, one of said buckle members being slidable along its strap, and of sufficient dimensions to prevent passage throughsaid loop, said strap extending beyond the denoted portion of the same, quick detachable fastening means acting between said buckle and strap at the locality of said denoted portion of said strap for restraining sliding movement of said buckle along its strap, said buckle members being engageable one with the other to hold the drop seat in closing position, the sliding buckle member being adapted to slide to the end of its strap upon disengagement from the other buckle member and upon unfastening of the fastening means to increase the length of said strap between the locality of detachment of said strap of the garment to the loop to accommodate extended opening of the drop seat and means on the end of said strap for retaining the buckle member and the loop on the strap when the fastening means is unfastened. I

CHARLES E. MARTIN. 

